Skateboard

Abstract

A skateboard is provided with a deck providing a support platform for the user, a front and rear wheel sets and trucks coupled to the deck. The support platform may include a central portion and raised front and rear portions. The front and rear portions may angle upwardly from the central portion, and then angle downwardly. The trucks may be coupled to the deck at the downwardly angled portions. The front and rear trucks may each include a pair of torsion springs alongside a kingpin. The hardness of the torsion springs may be varied to alter the performance of the skateboard depending on the characteristics of the user. A foot-operated brake may be mounted to the rear portion of the support platform. The deck may include a hinged portion located between the front and rear portions with a handle located in the hinged portion of the deck. The torsion springs may be provided with an identifier based upon their hardness. In certain examples that identifier may be a color coding system.

1 . A skateboard for a user to ride, the skateboard comprising:
 a deck providing a support platform for the user;   a front truck mounted under a front portion of the support platform;   a rear truck mounted under a rear portion of the support platform; and   a plurality of torsion springs coupling at least one of the front truck and rear truck to the support platform, the torsion springs being independently selected from a group of torsion springs having different hardnesses; and   wherein the torsion springs are provided with an identifier according to their hardness, and are interchangeable with one another.   
     
     
         2 . The skateboard of  claim 1 , wherein the torsion springs have a hardness that is different from the hardness of one or more of the remaining torsion springs. 
     
     
         3 . The skateboard of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front truck and rear truck are coupled to the support platform with a readily removable coupler, such that the user may exchange one or more of the torsion springs for one or more torsion springs of a different hardness. 
     
     
         4 . The skateboard of  claim 3 , wherein the readily removable coupler may be hand fastened. 
     
     
         5 . The skateboard of  claim 1 , wherein
 two of the torsion springs form a front torsion spring pair coupled to the front truck; and   two of the torsion springs form a rear torsion spring pair coupled to the rear truck;   wherein at least one of the front torsion spring pair and rear torsion spring pair includes torsion springs of differing hardnesses.   
     
     
         6 . The skateboard of  claim 1 , wherein
 two of the torsion springs form a front torsion spring pair coupled to the front truck; and   two of the torsion springs form a rear torsion spring pair coupled to the rear truck;   wherein at least one of the front torsion spring pair and rear torsion spring pair includes torsion springs of the same hardness.   
     
     
         7 . The skateboard of  claim 1 , wherein the group of torsion springs includes torsion springs having a hardness within the range of about 50 Shore A to about 110 Shore A. 
     
     
         8 . The skateboard of  claim 1 , wherein the group of torsion springs includes torsion springs having a hardness within the range of about 75 Shore A to about 90 Shore A. 
     
     
         9 . The skateboard of  claim 1 , wherein the torsion springs are composed substantially of a compressible material. 
     
     
         10 . The skateboard of  claim 9 , wherein the compressible material is polyurethane. 
     
     
         11 . The skateboard of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier is a color coding. 
     
     
         12 . The skateboard of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a front wheel set coupled to the deck and defining a front axis of rotation; and   a rear wheel set coupled to the deck and defining a rear axis of rotation;   wherein the support platform includes a central portion defining an upper surface, a front portion defining an upper surface, and a rear portion defining an upper surface, the front portion extending over the front axis of rotation and the rear portion extending over the rear axis of rotation, and further wherein the upper surface of at least one of the front and rear portions at the associated axis of rotation is raised above the upper surface of the central portion.   
     
     
         13 . The skateboard of  claim 7  wherein the upper surface of the central portion is substantially level with at least one of the front and rear axes of rotation. 
     
     
         14 . The skateboard of  claim 7  wherein the support platform slopes downwardly from adjacent the rear wheel set toward the front wheel set. 
     
     
         15 . The skateboard of  claim 7  wherein at least one of the front portion and the rear portion of the support platform include an upper surface that is at least about 2-inches above the upper surface of the support platform. 
     
     
         16 . The skateboard of  claim 6  wherein the front and rear wheels sets include wheels having a diameter of at least about five inches. 
     
     
         17 . The skateboard of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the front and rear portions, in a direction away from the central portion, angles upwardly from the central portion, and then, in the same direction away from the central portion, angles downwardly. 
     
     
         18 . The skateboard of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the front and rear trucks are coupled to the deck at the at least one of the front and rear portions at a location where the portion angled downwardly. 
     
     
         19 . The skateboard of  claim 5  wherein one of the front torsion springs is a different hardness from the other front torsion spring such that the cushioning provided by the front torsion springs is the average between the two front torsion springs. 
     
     
         20 . The skateboard of  claim 5  wherein one of the back torsion springs is a different hardness from the other back torsion spring such that the cushioning provided by the back torsion springs is the average between the two back torsion springs. 
     
     
         21 . A skateboard for a user to ride, the skateboard comprising:
 a deck providing a support platform for the user;   a front truck coupling the deck to a front wheel set, the front truck including a front kingpin coupling the deck to a front wheel axle and a front pair of torsion springs arrayed substantially parallel to, and on opposite sides of the front kingpin, the torsion springs flexibly coupling the front axle to the deck; and   a rear truck coupling the deck to a rear wheel set, the rear truck including a rear kingpin coupling the deck to a rear wheel axle and a rear pair of torsion springs arrayed substantially parallel to, and on opposite sides of the rear kingpin, the torsion springs flexibly coupling the rear axle to the deck;   wherein each of the torsion springs making up the front pair of torsion springs and rear pair of torsion springs are independently selected from a group of torsion springs having different hardnesses, and the springs include identifiers according to their hardness, and are interchangeable with one another.   
     
     
         22 . The skateboard of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the front pair of torsion springs and rear pair of torsion springs includes torsion springs of differing hardnesses. 
     
     
         23 . The skateboard of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the front pair of torsion springs and rear pair of torsion springs includes torsion springs of the same hardness. 
     
     
         24 . The skateboard of  claim 21 , wherein the front kingpin is coupled to the front wheel axle with a readily removable coupler and the rear kingpin is coupled to the rear wheel axle with a readily removable coupler, such that the user may remove one or more of the torsion springs and replace it with one or more torsion springs of a different hardness. 
     
     
         25 . The skateboard of  claim 21 , wherein the readily removable couplers may be hand fastened. 
     
     
         26 . The skateboard of  claim 21  wherein the group of torsion springs includes torsion springs having a hardness within the range of about 50 Shore A to about 110 Shore A. 
     
     
         27 . The skateboard of  claim 21  wherein the group of torsion springs includes torsion springs having a hardness within the range of about 75 Shore A to about 90 Shore A. 
     
     
         28 . The skateboard of  claim 21  wherein the torsion springs are composed substantially of a resilient material. 
     
     
         29 . The skateboard of  claim 21  wherein the torsion springs are composed of polyurethane. 
     
     
         30 . The skateboard of  claim 21  wherein the at least one of the front and rear trucks includes a pair of pockets, each pocket receiving an end of one of the torsion springs. 
     
     
         31 . The skateboard of  claim 21  wherein the support platform further includes a front portion rising above the central portion for coupling to the front truck and a rear portion rising above the central portion for coupling to the rear truck. 
     
     
         32 . The skateboard of  claim 21  wherein at least one of the front and rear kingpins are tilted from vertical by about thirty degrees. 
     
     
         33 . A plurality of torsion springs color coded according to their hardness, the torsion springs being adapted for use in a skateboard, the skateboard having:
 a deck providing a support platform for the user;   a front truck coupling the deck to a front wheel set; and   a rear truck coupling the deck to a rear wheel set;   wherein at least one of the front truck and rear truck includes one or more torsion springs flexibly coupling the truck to the deck.   
     
     
         34 . The skateboard of  claim 33 , wherein the torsion springs have a hardness within the range of about 50 Shore A to about 110 Shore A. 
     
     
         35 . The skateboard of  claim 34 , wherein the torsion springs have a hardness within the range of about 75 Shore A to about 90 Shore A. 
     
     
         36 . The skateboard of  claim 33 , wherein the torsion springs are composed substantially of a resilient material. 
     
     
         37 . The skateboard of  claim 35 , wherein the resilient material is polyurethane.